IB 

Union Calendar No. 514 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2956 

[Report No. 116–629] 

To provide for the establishment of the Western Riverside County Wildlife 

Refuge. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2019 

Mr. CALVERT (for himself, Mr. AGUILAR, and Mr. TAKANO) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

DECEMBER 8, 2020 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 23, 2019] 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2956 RH

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of the Western Riverside 

County Wildlife Refuge. 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2956 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (in 

5 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the 

6 United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall establish as 

7 a national wildlife refuge the lands, waters, and interests 

8 therein acquired under section 4. The national wildlife ref9 uge shall be known as the Western Riverside County Na10 tional Wildlife Refuge (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Wild11 life Refuge’’). 

12 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Wildlife Refuge 

13 shall be— 

14 (1) to conserve, manage, and restore wildlife 

15 habitats for the benefit of present and future genera16 tions of Americans; 

17 (2) to conserve species listed as threatened or en18 dangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 

19 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) or the California Endangered 

20 Species Act (California Fish and Game Code 2050– 

21 2068), or which is a covered species under the West22 ern Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Con23 servation Plan; 

24 (3) to support the recovery and protection of 

25 threatened and endangered species under the EndanVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:04 Dec 09, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H2956.RH H2956

SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2956 RH

1 gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 

2 and 

3 (4) to provide for wildlife habitat connectivity 

4 and migratory corridors within the Western Riverside 

5 County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan 

6 Area. 

7 (c) NOTIFICATION OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The Sec8 retary shall publish notice of the establishment of the Wild9 life Refuge in the Federal Register. 

10 SEC. 2. BOUNDARIES. 

11 The Secretary shall include within the boundaries of 

12 the Wildlife Refuge the lands and waters within the Western 

13 Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation 

14 Plan Area (as depicted on maps and described in the Final 

15 Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Con16 servation Plan dated June 17, 2003) that are owned by the 

17 Federal Government, a State, or a political subdivision of 

18 a State on the date of enactment of this Act. 

19 SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the establishment of the Wild21 life Refuge and thereafter, the Secretary shall administer 

22 all federally owned lands, waters, and interests in the Wild23 life Refuge in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge 

24 System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 

25 seq.) and this Act. The Secretary may use such additional 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2956 RH

1 statutory authority as may be available to the Secretary 

2 for the conservation, management, and restoration of fish 

3 and wildlife and natural resources, the development of com4 patible wildlife dependent outdoor recreation opportunities, 

5 and the facilitation of fish and wildlife interpretation and 

6 education as the Secretary considers appropriate to carry 

7 out the purposes of this Act and serve the objectives of the 

8 Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Con9 servation Plan. 

10 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS REGARDING NON11 FEDERAL LANDS.—The Secretary may enter into coopera12 tive agreements with the State of California, any political 

13 subdivision thereof, or any other person— 

14 (1) for the management, in a manner consistent 

15 with this Act and the Western Riverside County Mul16 tiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, of lands 

17 that are owned by such State, subdivision, or other 

18 person and located within the boundaries of the Wild19 life Refuge; 

20 (2) to promote public awareness of the natural 

21 resources of the Western Riverside County Multiple 

22 Species Habitat Conservation Plan Area; or 

23 (3) to encourage public participation in the con24 servation of those resources. 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2956 RH

1 SEC. 4. ACQUISITION AND TRANSFERS OF LANDS AND 

2 WATERS FOR WILDLIFE REFUGE. 

3 (a) ACQUISITIONS.—In addition to lands and waters 

4 acquired pursuant to section 2, the Secretary may acquire 

5 by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, 

6 or exchange the lands and water, or interest therein (includ7 ing conservation easements), within the boundaries of the 

8 Wildlife Refuge, except that the lands, water, and interests 

9 therein owned by the State of California and its political 

10 subdivisions may be acquired only by donation. 

11 (b) TRANSFERS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The head of any Federal de13 partment or agency other than the Department of the 

14 Interior that has jurisdiction of any Federal property 

15 located within the boundaries of the Wildlife Refuge 

16 as described by this Act shall, not later than 1 year 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit to 

18 the Secretary an assessment of the suitability of such 

19 property for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge. 

20 (2) ASSESSMENT.—Any assessment under para21 graph (1) shall include— 

22 (A) parcel descriptions and best existing 

23 land surveys for such property; 

24 (B) a list of existing special reservations, 

25 designations, or purposes of the property; 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2956 RH

1 (C) a list of all known or suspected haz2 ardous substance contamination of such prop3 erty, and any facilities, surface water, or 

4 groundwater on such property; 

5 (D) the status of withdrawal of such prop6 erty from— 

7 (i) the Mineral Leasing Act; and 

8 (ii) the General Mining Act of 1872; 

9 and 

10 (E) a recommendation as to whether such 

11 property is or is not suitable for inclusion in the 

12 Wildlife Refuge. 

13 (3) INCLUSION IN WILDLIFE REFUGE.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, not 

15 later than 60 days after receiving an assessment 

16 submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), determine 

17 if the property described in such assessment is 

18 suitable for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge. 

19 (B) TRANSFER.—If the Secretary deter20 mines the property in an assessment submitted 

21 under paragraph (1) is suitable for inclusion in 

22 the Wildlife Refuge, the head of the Federal de23 partment or agency that has jurisdiction of such 

24 property shall transfer such property to the adVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:04 Dec 09, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H2956.RH H2956

SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 2956 RH

1 ministrative jurisdiction of the Secretary for the 

2 purposes of this Act. 

3 (4) PROPERTY UNSUITABLE FOR INCLUSION.— 

4 Property determined by the Secretary to be unsuitable 

5 for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge based on an as6 sessment submitted under paragraph (1) shall be sub7 sequently transferred to the Secretary for purposes of 

8 this Act by the head of the department or agency that 

9 has jurisdiction of such property if such property be10 comes suitable for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge as 

11 determined by the Secretary in consultation with the 

12 head of the department or agency that has jurisdic13 tion of such property. 

14 (5) PUBLIC ACCESS.—If property transferred to 

15 the Secretary under this subsection allows for public 

16 access at the time of transfer, such access shall be 

17 maintained unless such access— 

18 (A) would be incompatible with the pur19 poses of the Wildlife Refuge; 

20 (B) would jeopardize public health or safe21 ty; or 

22 (C) must be limited due to emergency cir23 cumstances. 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS

SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 514 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2956 

[Report No. 116–629] 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of the Western 

Riverside County Wildlife Refuge. 

DECEMBER 8, 2020 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS